Work Text:
“It’s cruel to keep birds trapped in a cage.”
“But they are fed, protected, and have somewhere warm to sleep every night.”
“That might be so, but they’ll never be able to do what they’re born to do. What their soul aches for them to do.”
“And what would it be that moves a bird so?”
“The ability to soar, and soar freely. To feel the wind brush past your face and the warm companionship of sunlight. To be free.” The girl with hair as white as snow grew passionate at that, her eyes becoming inspired. The dark haired girl seemed to consider the concept, but before she could form a response, the other girl spoke again.
“Don’t you think.. we should live like that too?” Ayaka looked at her then, and under her icy gaze she felt her chest grow warm. I’ll live however, as long as it’s with you. Is what she wanted to say.
“Are you implying something about how we live under the shogunate?” Came out of her mouth in its place, accompanied with a face she had trained to keep as unmoving as stone. Ayaka studied her carefully then, her blue eyes seeming to drag along every detail of her face. She fought the urge to look away and met her gaze with as much steel as she could muster under the effect of a fluttering heart. Ayaka looked back up at her.
“No,” She said, a small smile growing on her face. “I’m simply speaking on birds.” She teased.
“You have too much free time then, if you are able to daydream about the lives of birds like that.” Sara countered smoothly, and for a reason she couldn’t give a name to, she felt a strange sense of relief.
Ayaka stuck her tongue out, and turned back to look upon the birds perched in the cage once again. Something sounding suspiciously like “meanie” was mumbled under her breath. Sara smiled.
“Wait, are you the reason the birds on Her Excellency’s estate keep escaping?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
— • —
“Is it okay for you to be here with me right now? I thought the Kujou clan was harsh with training schedules.” Ayaka asked, turning to look back at the short haired girl as she walked.
“Yes.” Sara answered simply, glancing down briefly at her bandaged hands before looking back up. Ayaka sent her a pointed look, eyes narrowed like a cat. It was oddly endearing. “I’ve mastered the bow and the sword, so I was allowed free time. And what of you? Haven’t been keeping up with swordsmanship practice have you?” She said, walking over and flicking Ayaka lightly on the forehead. The skin under her bandages burned in protest of movement, but she ignored it and instead carved the image of a grumpily pouting Kamisato before her into her memory.
“Hey! What was that for?” Ayaka exclaimed, her eyebrows scrunched in mock anger as she abandoned her graceful demeanor. Sara would’ve been afraid she had actually angered the Kamisato if not for the smile beginning to take over her lips. “And I have kept up with my training. If you have really mastered the blade then we should spar sometime.” She continued, her eyes glinting as she proposed the idea.
“Nah.” Sara dismissed, and continued walking.
“Nah?” Ayaka repeated, confusion laced into her tone. She ran to catch up to Kujou, who had steadily gained distance in the few seconds. “Why? It’ll be good practice for both of us.” She insisted, grasping lightly at the sleeves of Sara’s uniform which succeeded in getting the other girl to glance over at her.
“It would be too easy to beat you.” Sara lied, smirking slightly. The truth was she couldn’t bear the thought of fighting Ayaka. If simply walking by her side could make her feel this light she was afraid the intense, concentrated looks Ayaka saved for battle would send her soaring besides the clouds.
“As if!” Ayaka replied confidentially, keeping her feather light grip on Sara’s sleeve although she had already gotten her attention. “I could have you on the floor before that leaf touched the ground.” She said, gesturing with her head at the leaf floating down beside them.
“Oh?” Sara said, raising an eyebrow at the claim. With one fell swoop of her leg, the white haired girl’s knees buckled and she began tipping backwards and down towards the stone path before a single bandaged arm wrapped around her waist and steadied her. “It doesn’t seem like you can.” Sara smiled smugly down at her, and her cheeks began to grow red.
“N-Not fair.” Ayaka complained, placing a hand over her heart. “I was supposed to be the one to sweep you off your feet, not the other way around.”
“Is that so?” Sara mused, her smirk melting into a fond smile. Her other hand went to sweep aside of a piece of white hair that had fallen out of place,
“Ah.” Ayaka breathed out. The other girl’s fingers barely brushed against her face, briefly grazing her cheek with the rough gauze but her heart jumped in her chest nonetheless.
Their eyes locked, gold boring unreadably into sky blue, and it was as if someone had frozen the air around them, and it wasn’t Ayaka. Sara cleared her throat, turning slightly in an attempt to hide the red dusting her cheeks, and the spell was broken. Ayaka quickly stood up on her own feet, not looking as her hand once again found Sara’s sleeve and she walked forward, tugging the other girl along.
“Come on, we‘ve kept desert waiting long enough.” Ayaka said insistently, and although Sara rolled her eyes at the thought of food waiting for them and not the other way around, she complied and let herself be dragged along.
— • —
Clack .
Sara’s sword glanced off the Kamisato heiress’s blade once again, and the white haired girl skillfully used the momentum to redirect her sword into an offensive position. While the Kujou clan girl was still regaining her balance from the unsuccessful slash, Ayaka thrust her blade towards her throat, aiming for it to stop just under her chin, but was halted by something she couldn’t see.
Crack .
Crack? Looking down at the hand that gripped the practice sword, she noticed Sara had brought the sword up just in time to wedge her handle under Ayaka’s, rendering both of them immobile. Ayaka kicked out, pushing her leg into the back of Sara’s knees and this time it was her who made the other fall.
“Not so fast.” The dark haired girl grunted, and she let go of the wooden practice sword, her hands coming to grip the collar of Ayaka’s robes instead. The heiress yelped, finding herself getting pulled to the ground with her sparring partner. She closed her eyes and braced for the impact of the hard floor but it never came. There was a thud, but she didn’t feel the cold floor beneath her as usual when she was knocked to the ground, instead she was laying on top of the very same sparring partner who caused her to fall in the first place.
It was surprisingly comfortable.
Ayaka didn’t get up. She opened her eyes and looked up at the other girl instead, who had become very still and was looking up at the ceiling. It would have been a cause for concern for the heiress if she didn’t speak up the next moment.
“You know, for someone with a cryo vision you are surprisingly warm.” Sara said flatly, finding the ceiling very interesting.
“Why would my vision change my body temperature?” Ayaka deadpanned, “Plus we just sparred for a good few hours, why wouldn’t I be warm?”
“Shhh.” Sara shushed, and before Ayaka could retort, a hesitant hand coming to rest momentarily on the back of her head shut her up. “I didn’t mean body temperature.” She finally looked towards Ayaka, lifting herself and consequently Ayaka slightly off the ground as she propped herself up on her elbows. “There is warmth in everything you do.”
Ayaka was rendered speechless for a good moment, by both their proximity and the rare praise coming from Sara, who usually only had an endless stream of mean well-intentioned comments and a blunt way of speaking. Gold eyes watched her curiously as she struggled to get a word out before giving up. As she could not form a verbal response, she opted to convey her gratitude by embracing the other girl instead. In a graceless flurry, she threw her arms around the dark haired girl and squeezed.
“So sudden.” Sara had said after a few seconds. Not being able to move her arms, she pressed her cheek to the side of Ayaka’s head instead. For someone with a cryo vision, she could make other people feel surprisingly warm as well.
“You’re one to speak.” Ayaka mumbled. “Praising me like that out of nowhere.”
“Who said it was praise?” Sara teased before dipping back into a serious tone. “It was merely the truth. The common people love you because of your warmth. Many in the clans are fond of you for it too. When I was young, I admired you because of your warmth as well.”
“Not anymore?” Ayaka prompted.
“It’s different…I… It’s in a different way now.” Sara answered.
“Since we are merely speaking the truth,” Ayaka started, laughing a little at the way Sara sharply inhaled. “Kujou Sara, I admire you too.”
“What kind of conf—“
“Let me speak!” Ayaka interrupted, ignoring how warm her face was becoming. Sara went silent and looked at the heiress expectantly.
“I admire you because you work hard and give your all to what you believe in. You always..” Ayaka pulled back then, and sat up on the other girl’s lap rather than laying on her. She could admire her fully from here. “You always work so hard to prove yourself to your clan although you’ve already proved yourself hundreds of times over. You are a self made person through and through, and it kills me knowing that you don’t see yourself that way. You always see things through to the end, unrelenting and unmoving. That kind of strength…” Sara was starting to look away then, as she tended to do when confronted and especially when the conversation’s topic was herself. Ayaka firmly grabbed her chin and made her look back up, ignoring the way her usually stoic friend’s blush made her feel. Once sky blue met deep gold, she spoke again.
“Your strength is what I really admire about you.” She finished.
Sara didn’t say anything back, instead she sat up as well, their faces now so close that she could count each of Ayaka’s individual eyelashes. So close that she could lean in just a little and change everything.
Ayaka seemed to think the same, as her eyes grew even fonder. She leaned in, and rested her forehead against Sara’s. Sara closed her eyes.
“I heard from one of the merchants at that port that in the city of freedom, people can really fly.” Ayaka said softly, and Sara’s eyelids flickered open in confusion.
“That merchant must’ve had too much to drink.” Sara said lowly, her hands coming up to cup Ayaka’s face. She tried her hardest not to appear impatient but it was hard when her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
“No, no I saw it with my own eyes. They fly with something man-made called a glider.” Ayaka explained, her eyes lighting up with a childlike joy. Although she spoke with more intensity, it was still closer to a whisper than actual talking, as if she were sharing a secret.
“Then it would be gliding and not flying now wouldn’t it?” Sara deadpanned, and although she didn’t understand the need to keep their voices low, matched her tone to Ayaka’s. She could see where the other girl was going with this. “And with that contraption, a glider, we could use it here as well couldn’t we?”
“No, Sara. In Mondstadt they really do fly.” Ayaka said, and at Sara’s pointed disbelieving expression she quickly continued. “The four winds protecting the city, the anemo archon. The people of Mondstadt are surrounded by magic. Of course they can fly.” She pointed out, and smiled a smile that Sara had not seen in a long time. It was as refreshing as a breeze from a stormless sea, yet it retained its warmth. It was a smile of someone with no burdens, and it was a very pretty smile to see on Ayaka. It was a shame that she had been seeing it less and less ever since the heiress’s parents had passed and she had to take up the responsibility of the whole clan, but it couldn’t be helped in situations like these.
“Sara.” Ayaka called out, bringing Sara’s thoughts back to the present. She forgot how close they were and inhaled sharply, which seemed to make Ayaka giggle.
“Yes?” She managed to ask, her voice almost failing her.
“One day, let’s go to Mondstadt. Let’s feel the wind of the city of freedom.” She was full on grinning now, which was the first time in an eternity. Her hand came up to grip at one of the hands cupping her face, giving it a light squeeze. “Let’s fly, Together.”
Although it was clearly impossible, or at least nearly, Sara couldn’t bring herself to go against the idea. She couldn’t crush Ayaka’s dreams. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Of course.” She managed, and laid a gentle kiss on the back of her dear friend’s hand.
— • —
“The town is restless with life today, it would be best to stay close and to be wary, Miss Kamisato.” The dark haired girl cautioned, her arm leaving the ghost of a touch around Ayaka’s waist as she guided the girl through the crowd. The heiress gave her an amused look and complied, walking closer. For someone who poked fun at Ayaka in private for caring too much about public image, Sara put a lot of effort into upholding her own reputation as the unsmiling daughter of the Kujou clan.
“It appears festival fever has already taken root, Miss Kujou.” Ayaka commented, glancing around at the bustling town. There was an excited buzz to the conversations around them today, and she could practically feel the anticipation for tonight’s festivities in the air. She had to admit she was a little excited herself, despite having helped organize the event and knowing what tonight had in stock for them, it would still be a sight to behold.
“Indeed. I assume the fireworks you helped plan this time won’t cause me and my troops any trouble?” Sara asked, and although her tone was completely serious, Ayaka knew the other girl was teasing her.
“Oh of course they will, I chose the fireworks most likely to be a fire hazard just to trouble you especially, dearest. I have to keep me on your mind somehow.” She replied just as seriously, glancing back at the short haired girl. Sara rolled her eyes, but Ayaka could tell from how her gaze softened that she was holding back a smile.
“How gracious of you, Miss Kamisato.” She replied curtly, the back of gloved hand coming to brush against Ayaka’s as they walked. The heiress resisted the urge to interlace their fingers, instead she stared intensely at her companion, hoping to wordlessly convey her intentions.
“Something on my face?” The dark haired girl asked, the slightest hint of amusement to her tone now. She spared Ayaka a brief glance as they continued making their way through the town and Ayaka winked enthusiastically in response.
“Nothing but inexplicable beauty.” Ayaka said smoothly, a small and prideful smile on her lips.
“Then my face must be a mirror.” The Kujou Clan daughter returned, just as nonchalant. She allowed her fingertips to graze the heiress’s waist before completely taking a hold of it under the guise of guiding her. Ayaka sharply inhaled, and before Sara could spare her another glance, she flicked her fan open and covered the quickly reddining lower half of her face with it.
“By the way,” Sara continued after a beat, “I saw your latest fan dance the other day. Her Excellency will be most pleased with tonight’s performance.”
“I’m glad you think so, but why didn’t you come greet me then if you saw it?” Ayaka asked, beginning to glare accusingly at the girl walking beside her.
“I planned to, but I was called to an audience with Her Excellency.” Sara explained, and upon seeing Ayaka’s downcast expression, elaborated. “Although I did leave a gift with Thoma.”
“So that was you!” Ayaka exclaimed, coming to a realization. She lowered the fan from her face to reveal a smile. “The Chazuke was amazing. Thank you.” She said sincerely, resting her hand atop of the one on her waist.
“I’m glad you liked it.” Sara murmured, just loud enough for Ayaka’s ears to pick up. Ayaka smiled warmly at that, briefly interlocking their fingers at her waist and squeezing slightly. She felt Sara squeeze her waist lightly in response, just enough to be felt through the fabric. It was a nice feeling, having someone who understood her so well that they didn’t have to say a word to convey what their hearts whispered.
“I like when it’s just the two of us.” Ayaka said as they entered a smaller street in between two buildings, finally getting away from the crowd. Although a statement like that shouldn’t have caused her heart to erupt in flutters, it felt akin to a confession of love. She supposed in a way it was. Sara looked at her then, her usually hardened amber eyes melting into adoring pools of honey.
“I feel the same way.” Sara replied, and the amount of earnesty in her voice and expression made Ayaka want to pull her in close and never let go. She settled with embracing her tightly instead, tucking her head into the crook of Sara’s neck. She was surprised she hadn’t been nudged away yet, looking up only to find the street empty and the same eyes from earlier looking back at her but somehow, someway even fonder. How was her heart supposed to take this?
“If I just have you,” Sara started, laying a kiss on the crown of Ayaka’s head before kissing her brow. “Then that’s enough for me.” Another kiss, ever so tender, on the cheek. Her lips seemed to trace the next words onto Ayaka’s skin, a spoken and felt promise.“I can bear with everything, if I just have you.”
Ayaka kissed her.
For a heiress that usually moved as gracefully and gentle as snowflakes in a breeze, while seized in the heat of her emotions she was more akin to a blizzard. Obstinate and fierce, she kissed Sara with such an intensity that she had backed the other girl to a wall with a thud . She felt hands come to rest at her shoulders, and the feeling of being kissed back, albeit briefly before she was gently pushed away.
“Can’t breathe.” Sara breathed out, offering a slightly embarrassed smile before tacking on a “Wow.” Ayaka hid her face in Sara’s shoulder, grumbling unintelligibly as she wrapped her arms loosely around the other girl’s waist. She allowed Sara a few more moments to catch her breath before placing a light kiss on her shoulder and speaking up.
“Did you mean it? What you said before..” Ayaka asked, her tone small and muffled by the fabric on Sara’s shoulder. She didn’t dare look up at the other girl’s face, afraid deep down that her expression might tell her that she hadn’t meant it at all.
“With my whole heart.” Sara answered almost immediately, with conviction strong enough to make Ayaka’s heart tremble. The heiress looked up then, and was met with a chaste kiss. Ayaka smiled shyly.
“I too, think we would be okay if we just had each other, whether it be here or somewhere far away where our titles and pasts are nothing but mere ornaments to our names.” Ayaka said, her voice becoming warmth itself as she looked back at the curious eyes beholding her. Her voice lowered as if she was telling a secret as she continued, “If we run away, become two among many fleeting travelers and traverse the beauties of the world without looking back, I think that would make me happy beyond mortal bounds.”
A beat of silence. A moment of Sara scouring her brain for a response as bright eyes looked expectantly up at her.
“But.. it’s just a fantasy.” Ayaka concluded, looking away and taking a step back from the Kujou clan girl. She would be lying if she said the sudden lack of warmth didn’t cause a pang in her chest. “We have people counting on us, and it wouldn’t be fair to leave. Everyone’s efforts to maintain an eternity for Inazuma.. we can’t disregard them.”
In the blink of an eye she once again became the Shirasagi Himegimi that the people admired, and looked upon Sara with the kind smile of a stranger. Although the dark haired girl thought she agreed with the sentiment of accepting the reality of their lives, she felt a strange sense of emptiness. Shaking it off, she led the Kamisato heiress back to the busy streets, and back to the people of Inazuma.
— • —
The crowd erupted in cheers around her, loud and prideful. Her heart might have also been filled with pride at the recognition once, but as the years passed she could only find herself caring about what one person thought of her.
“General of the Tenryou Commission and personal guard and aide to Her Excellency, you may now be seated. Congratulations on your promotion.” The pink haired woman known as Yae Guuji said, her voice echoing around the courtyard. Her smile was kind, and the general’s eyes might have been deceiving her, but there was a hint of pity to it as well. Sara took a seat, and nodded briefly to acknowledge the congratulations from all her clan members around her. Subtly, she moved her head and scanned the area where the Kamisato clan should have been seated, hoping to catch the gaze of a certain heiress. Her eyes locked onto Ayaka, the high ponytail of white hair served as a beacon in the sea of people, but although Sara stared intensely at the girl who was always keen of being watched, she did not turn to look.
After the ceremony concluded, Sara was the first one out of her seat, making a beeline to the corridor where she and Ayaka had always met after the Shogun’s announcements and assemblies. Time seemed to pass slower than ever as she waited for the white haired girl to appear, pressure building up in her chest as minutes kept passing. Just as she was about to give up and leave, the sound of heels clicking down the corridor made her heart jump in her chest again.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. Ayato wanted to speak to Yae Guuji about some of the Sho- Her Excellency’s most recent decisions and I wanted to be there to back him up.” Ayaka apologized, her brow cutely creased in worry. Sara hummed in acknowledgement of Ayaka’s words and embraced her as soon as she came within reach, eliciting a surprised squeak from the heiress. She held the smaller girl tightly in her arms before loosening her grip, allowing Ayaka to pull back and look up at her.
“It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re here now.” Sara said, her voice taking on a tenderness only reserved for her lover. She leaned down and kissed Ayaka softly, her hand coming to rest at the base of her neck. She felt arms snake around her neck before she was pulled into a deeper kiss, the heiress making sure her love was felt. By the time Sara pulled away, she was once again breathless and dazed, only further enamored by Ayaka who hadn’t gotten quite enough and started peppering kisses across her face.
“Congratulations on your promotion by the way.” Ayaka murmured in between kisses, and Sara noticed that the other girl’s brow was beginning to crease in worry again.
“Thank you, love.” Sara said sincerely once she caught her breath. Her hand came to brush lightly against the lines of worry on the heiress’s usually smooth face. “What’s got you worried?”
Ayaka halted her rain of kisses, placing the final one carefully on Sara’s lips before she sighed. “This vision hunt decree.. the people aren’t happy with it. And with your new role you’ll be the head of it. I don’t want you, who works so hard for the sake of Inazuma, to be hated because you are doing so.” She explained, cupping Sara’s face with her hands and gingerly running a thumb across the dark haired girl’s cheek. Sara leaned into the touch, her eyes closing briefly as she did so.
“It’ll be alright. I’m sure Her Excellency has good reasoning behind it. Many of the clans are unhappy with the decision as well, perhaps it will be enough to change her mind before things get.. more troubling.” Sara reassured the heiress, moving her head slightly to kiss the palm of the hand that was cupping her face. She usually wouldn’t be this affectionate in the middle of conversation, knowing it would distract from the actual meaning of the words but she couldn’t help it. It pained her to see Ayaka in distress like this, and there was little she could do about the situation causing it.
“I hope that’s the case then. It would kill me to see the very Inazuma you shed blood, sweat and tears to protect see you as an enemy.” Ayaka said, her clear blue eyes overcast by somberness.
“Yeah.” Sara agreed, “It would kill me too.”
— • —
It would not be the first time that Sara had snuck onto the Kamisato estate, but this time anxiety had her heart in a vice grip and her fresh injuries didn’t help. Her movements became sloppy. What usually would have been silent footsteps as she walked past occupied rooms became the light clacking of sandals on tatami floors. Nobody seemed to care after today’s events though, especially not her as she made her way as fast as she could to Ayaka’s room. Ever since she was promoted and the vision hunt decree started to roll out, she had only seen the other girl for brief moments in passing and each time her lover’s eyes seemed to grow increasingly conflicted as she looked at her. Her heart could only whimper in fear at how Ayaka would look at her now, after what had happened today.
She wished that it was not under these circumstances that she would finally be able to sit down and have a conversation with her lover. Under normal circumstances, she would have been too exhausted from the day’s activities to pull off a stunt such as getting to the Kamisato estate, sneaking into Ayaka’s room, and leaving the same way hours later but tonight was special. Thoughts of Ayaka were keeping her awake. With a sigh she continued on her way until she finally arrived at the familiar door and without knocking, quickly slipped inside.
“Who-“ Ayaka started in surprise before she quickly materialized her sword in hand and pointed it at Sara’s neck. Upon realizing who it was, she sighed in relief and lowered the sword, setting it aside before pulling the stiff general into a hug. “Oh beloved, you nearly scared my heart out of my chest.” She scolded, tapping the general’s head playfully as she pulled away from the hug to look up at her lover. She scanned the other girl carefully, taking in the sight of her lover for what felt like the first time in forever, only to have her heart pang at what she discovered.
“You’re hurt.” Ayaka pointed out, her tone of voice making it seem as if she were hurt herself. The Kamisato’s nimble fingers brushed gently around the sore areas of the general’s face, applying cold to the festering bruise forming under her eye and to the busted part of her lips. The dark haired girl didn’t say anything, she only stared at Ayaka, her eyelids growing heavy with exhaustion.
“I saw you today.” Sara said, her voice devoid of anything but fatigue. Her previous worry had been stripped away by the exhaustion taking over her senses. Ayaka froze, her eyes widening as she seemed to realize what those words meant. “That boy you helped escape.” She continued, her eyes closed and she stumbled forward. “One of his stray arrows nearly hit Yae Guuji.” Ayaka caught her, cradling her attentively against her chest. Her next words were quiet, muffled by the fabric of Ayaka’s nightgown, yet they echoed crystal clear into her mind.
“The other one.. hit me.”
Silence. Then came the sniffling of a girl that did not cry.
“I’m sorry.” Ayaka sobbed. Sara’s arms came to wrap loosely around her waist, which made her cry harder.
“It’s okay.” Sara said, lifting her head to rest it against the side of Ayaka’s. “It’s okay.” She repeated, placing a sluggish kiss on the crown of Ayaka’s head. “I’ll be fine in a few days.” She reassured, giving Ayaka’s waist a weak squeeze. Ayaka wept into her uniform. She held the white haired girl until her sobs regressed into sniffles, and her sniffles to regular breathing. The moon waned through the window, and although everything in her screamed at her to fall asleep, she still hadn’t done what she came here to do.
“Ayaka.” She said, bringing the girl’s attention back to her. “From now on, Stay far away from the resistance.” She warned, although there was no bite to her tone. The heiress said nothing. “Please. I don’t care if I get hurt in the crossfire. I’m a general, right under the Shogun. It’s bound to happen. But you—“ She pulled away from Ayaka with a little difficulty, nearly stumbling as she stood on her own two legs again. Ayaka, whose eyes were red from crying, looked up at her with dismay. “You don’t have to put everything on the line. Inazuma needs you. Alive and well. You can help without getting your own hands dirty.” She urged, although deep down she already knew that the heiress could not allow herself to do such a thing.
“I care if you get hurt.” Ayaka said in response, and Sara let out an exasperated laugh, wincing as the movement reached where the arrow pierced. She leaned against Ayaka once again, and this time instead of collapsing on her, guided them to lie down on Ayaka’s bed. The smaller girl curled into her almost immediately and she hummed contentedly, feeling herself nodding off.
“I’m serious, you know.” Sara said lowly before she fell asleep completely. She felt the smaller girl shift against her and looked down to see determined blue eyes looking directly into hers.
“I am too.” Ayaka said, sneaking in a kiss on the side of Sara’s mouth that wasn’t hurt. “But we have each other don’t we? We’ll figure something out. And as you said, we can bear through it.”
“Using my own words against me, I’m so hurt.” Sara mumbled, wrapping an arm around Ayaka and pulling her closer. She allowed herself to close her eyes then, a smile on her face as she finally drifted off to sleep. For birds trapped in a cage, Ayaka had always made her feel free.